Gaza, July 23: The Acting Palestinian Authority Chief has reiterated that Israel’s separation wall and its settlements in the occupied territories are illegal and must be removed.
Mahmoud Abbas made the remarks on Wednesday in a joint press conference at his Ramallah headquarters with the Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Saltanov.
Abbas said that halting all settlement activities that Israel describes as ‘natural growth of settlements’ is a major obstacle in the peace process.
Last week, Mahmoud Abbas in Ankara said that Israel has failed its obligations for international agreements adding that Palestinians are loyal to the Middle East peace plan.
In obvious rebellion against international and US calls for freezing the construction of settlements in Palestinian territories, Israel has announced the construction of hundreds of new Israeli homes, including construction in East al-Quds (Jerusalem) where the Palestinians consider it as their future capital.
Abbas added that the Palestinian Authority is committed to the Road Map Peace Plan, and all singed peace deals, saying that the Palestinians will implement their obligations as they previously did, the International Middle East Media Center reported.
Abbas condemned Israel’s separation wall and said that “the racial separation wall as well as settlements are both illegal,” adding “the Wall must be removed and the settlements must stop.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech before members of the Israeli Knesset (parliament) that Israel is not intending to remove what he termed as ‘the security wall.’
Israel has been building a separation wall between the West Bank and Israel despite an International Court of Justice decision that Israel should stop building it.
—-Agencies